


waltz of two left feet

by cinema_cucumber (beautiful_as_endless)



Series: Ry's flash fics [2]
Category: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), Noli Me Tangere & Related Works - José Rizal
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, para kay ate kathlyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25215733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_as_endless/pseuds/cinema_cucumber
Summary: a principal comes face-to-face with a girl who reminds her of someone she knew, once upon a time
Relationships: Felicidad Aguinaldo/Remedios Nable Jose, Maria Clara/Sinang (Noli Me Tangere & Related Works)
Series: Ry's flash fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815472
Kudos: 3





	waltz of two left feet

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies in advance for:
> 
> 1\. Taking liberties in Maria Clara's characterization. I barely remember the book.  
> 2\. The author tract. I didn't come from an all girl's school, and never agreed with the system.

Adjusting her blouse, Clareng heads across her office in quick, purposeful strides. She reaches out to move the billowing curtains aside to have a better look at the grassy quadrangle where her pupils are assembled for Fellowship Day.

Or at least,  _ were _ assembled.

The girls of Santa Maria, truly, don’t know how to conduct themselves around the boys from Sacred Heart Academy. Perhaps they don’t know how to conduct themselves around men at all.

A gaggle of the older girls are acting coyly around bewildered boys, acting with the bold confidence of children whose behaviors have been oppressed for years, only to reach a tipping point powered further by hormonal curiosity. Most of the younger girls, meanwhile, are keeping to themselves, shrinking whenever a boy so much as gives them a passing glance.

Still, others are at least trying to make an honest attempt to strike a good conversation, though their tendency to blush and giggle awkwardly belies their lack of social exposure. Perhaps a few years in a more conductive social atmosphere will do them good.

Her eyes stray to what seems to be a brewing commotion at the edge of the group, however. A sophomore girl  _ just punched _ an older boy, sending him sprawling to the ground. Without even missing a beat, she turns to one of her classmates who seems to be trying to deflect the situation and starts shouting. Clareng finds her words impossible to discern, up there on the third floor, but it’s enough to make the angry girl’s classmate burst into tears.

With a sigh, Clareng returns to her desk and grabs her phone just in time to see it buzz. It’s a call from Miss de Jesus — one of the teachers overseeing the Fellowship Day activities.

“Yes, hello?” Clareng’s voice is as tired as a woman of thirty eight — running an all-girls’s school with ingrained values she doesn’t believe in — can be. “Is this about Remedios Nable Jose?”

It takes a moment for Miss de Jesus to respond to that. “Yes po, Ma’am de los Santos. Ba’t alam niyo po?”

Cursing herself almost immediately “Pinapanood ko sila sa may bintana kanina. Please bring her here — kakausapin ko lang.”

“Please don’t be harsh on her po, Ma’am —”

“Wala naman akong sinabing paparusahan ko, ‘di ba? I just want to talk.”

“S-Sige po, Ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

Clareng ends the call with a huff and all but flings her phone on her desk before sitting down. She closes her eyes and massages her temples, reminding herself that she still has a long way to go before finally controlling her temper. For all her gripes about dealing with wealthy, sheltered, exclusive Catholic school  _ brats _ , a part of her still hasn’t outgrown that pace either.

Her thoughts stray to Remedios — not an outstanding student, by any means, but never one to pick a fight. The child never showed any signs of misguided feminism that evolved into misandry, unlike many of her classmates, so there must have been a different reason for her behavior.

That elicits another sigh from Clareng. It reminds her that there’s still so much about the system that must be fixed. If she had her way, she’d get rid of the notion of exclusivity completely. It has no place in a modern era with modern sensibilities, she thinks, save to stunt children’s emotional and social growth and perpetuate certain dangerous notions on gender and class.

Oh, but she’s rambling to herself. There’s time for that later. For now, she has to focus on other immediate priorities.

The door creaks open after a knock, and Remedios shuffles into the room with a huff. She stands before Clareng’s desk, hands clasped together in morose contrition. “Sorry po, Miss de los Santos.”

“Sit and explain.” She maintains the strict principal’s facade — it’s not going anywhere until she has a clearer understanding of the situation. “Why did you punch a Caballero? May ginawa ba siya sa’yo, or your friends?”

“He was flirting with Fely.” Remedios averts her gaze, a heated flush on her cheeks.

“Fely? Yung sinigawan mo?”

“Opo.”

Clareng has a feeling that she knows where this is going, but she decides to keep prodding — just to be safe. “So you punched him because he was flirting with your classmate na sinigawan mo naman pagkatapos? Am I getting that right?”

“Kasi she defended him po.” There’s anger in Remedios’ eyes now. “Wala naman daw pong mali sa ginagawa ni Greg, he’s not flirting with her naman daw po pero I disagree. I can see him smiling at her po, tapos she was smiling back din and they were telling stories na —”

“Na may consent naman ni Fely. Was  _ that  _ really the problem?” Clareng clasps her hands together. This is getting uncomfortably familiar. “O baka naman may ibang reasons?”

“Fine.” The girl huffs. “I was jealous po. Pakiramdam ko dapat ako lang ‘yung may right to do  _ that _ to Fely.”

“There we are.” Clareng smiles. “It’s okay to be interested in a girl, Remedios, pero  _ hindi okay _ maging selosa at possessive. Si Fely lang may choice kung gusto niyang mag-entertain ng mga suitors o hindi — and  _ you _ don’t have the right to say whether someone should talk to her or not, understand? Know your boundaries, Miss Nable Jose.”

Remedios averts her gaze. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Buti nagkakaintindihan tayo.”

* * *

The school day is over by the time all is said and done. Clareng’s head still hurts from having to deal with the impetuous and petulant Remedios, but she hopes she managed to make some headway. She can’t help every individual girl, so every small victory matters more.

Sighing, she finally settles behind her desk again and picks her phone up. Three messages from Sinang greet her, eliciting a tired little smile. She quickly replies — four quick words.

_ Uuwi na ako, Mahal _ .

**Author's Note:**

> Not my best work, but I hope I did enough justice.


End file.
